GREEN BAY, WI – Combat boots with a photo of a soldier who committed suicide were placed on tables in his honor inside the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Saturday. A nonprofit in Clearwater, Florida, organized the ninth annual 20-mile Ruck Walk in Wisconsin to raise awareness about veteran suicide.
On average, 17. 2 veterans commit suicide every day, according to the 2021 National Suicide VA report. A small minimum of 2012 veterans Administration report of 22 consistent with the day.
Approximately 500 other people arrived at the march in user with a message telling active duty military members and veterans that it’s okay to seek help when depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual assault trauma and anxiety begin to take over their well-being. A Patch reporter heard several veterans, active duty service members and families who had lost soldiers to suicide say, “This is not a sign of weakness in getting assistance; it’s a sign of strength,” the event said.
H. O. O. A. H. (Helping Out Our American Heroes), a national non-profit volunteer organization based in Florida, organizes this year’s walk.
Tammy Hardwick, President of the Wisconsin State Chapter, said, “For me, this specific occasion encompasses the entire HOOAH mission. So, with our triyetes to boots, it sums it all up. We were one of the first charities in Wisconsin to get this verbal exchange about veteran suicide started. It’s an awkward verbal exchange: normalizing that kind of verbal exchange, building the connections, and connecting veterans with those systems and resources is rarely just a one-time occasion, yet take a look at what else we have to offer them. We are here for a long journey for them. “
Before the march began, participants accumulated the center where providers were established to provide other styles of intellectual fitness counseling. Some of the systems went beyond the scope of psychology sessions and included art, fitness, hiking, motorcycling and more.
Veterans Alternative, a treatment option, founded in Tampa Bay, is also bankrupt in Wisconsin. Founder Bob Sebastian participated in the trek practically from Naples, as did some two hundred walkers from other parts of the country.
Barb Lu Maye lost her Navy son, Jacob Lu Maye, six years ago. “While he was serving in the military, things got a little complicated for him,” she told a Patch reporter through tears. conditions that have become overwhelming for him. “
Jacob also had a newborn son. ” He made the resolution to devote himself to suicide. He is 21 years old. . . I think I just felt like there was no way to get through what was going on. This group, HOOAH, is one of your main missions. “There are many other people who are there to help him, and we will miss him if he leaves. Ask for help, get help. “
Lu Maye has participated in the march every year for 3 years after his death with his six-year-old grandson, Matthew Lu Maye. He lost his father at 4 1/2 months. He knows that his father served as a Marine and has an image of him in uniform hanging on the back of his backpack as he walks with his grandmother, who also fastened her to hers. He comforted Lu Maye in the middle as she moved as she looked at a boot that had a picture of him holding Matthew like a baby.
“We walked for my dad,” Matthew said as he walked. Wrapped in a hat and coat. He said he was proud of himself for running 10 of the 20 miles on Saturday’s march.
“Every day is a fight without him,” Lu Maye said. “I miss him every day. . . Jacob was a prankster. He was the kind of user who liked to help other people. He was one of the other people who when other people manipulated him and told him they didn’t think they could go any further, he was the one who convinced them and stored them. “
Lu Maye said that it meant a lot to her to be with other people who have had reports, other people who are suffering losses.
“It makes me feel smart to be here. It’s helping my soul. And let my circle of family and friends come here. “
Many other people said they walked because they lost a veteran to suicide, and others said it to show the military they are not alone.
This year’s occasion raised about $120,000, according to Wisconsin Chapter Treasurer Scott Conklin, and the money will go back to the veterans network to help active duty service members and veterans get help and access resources. he plans to come with an in-person hike in Florida with that in Wisconsin. The location in Florida has not yet been decided.
For more information about the services of H. O. O. A. H. , their website. To learn more about upcoming occasions and to see more photos and videos from the event, click Like on Facebook.
The occasion was broadcast live through a Tampa Bay production team, Alinea Production, which is involved in many veteran productions in St. Petersburg and Tampa.